I remember as a kid my grandparents had this long white, deep chest freezer that was in their basement with a single naked light bulb hanging above it. I imagined it would have been a good place to hide anything you never wanted someone to find. Inside the freezer were bags, and bags of tin foiled covered food that was older than I was. Layers and layers of freezer burned meats that had been on sale and vegetables from seasons ago. My grandparents grew up during the depression, so saving every last scrap of food was imperative to their survival even though they now were going grocery shopping every week. There was a an old metal coffee can next to the stove top for them to scrape their bacon fat into. And when it was full, it was placed carefully into that chest freezer in case the end of the world was tomorrow.
In their 'root cellar' were countless Bell jars full of preserves. I'm talking countless. Many shelves high and stacked to the back wall like a grocery aisle. I can vividly remember my grandparents working together like a machine to seal up jars and jars of pickles, beans, tomatoes, corn, everything from their huge garden every summer at their Winnipesaukee lake house. I don't know when they were planning on eating all that food, but it was there "just in case." It must of been done out of habit. I remember thinking that I was never going to waste my time preserving food, or freezing it. It seemed to silly when I could just go to the store and get a fresh rotisserie chicken, and a bag of pre-made salad.
I grew up on a dairy farm but was very uninterested in the business and concepts as a teenager. My mom spent hours in her gardens. She has the greenest thumb. She knows how to sew anything, cook everything and has a mean creative edge. I was never interested in what she was doing but certainly retained most of the information through what must of been osmosis.
I've come drastically far since I used to think those silly thoughts and now am more interested in all the things I didn't like as a younger woman. I don't know if it's part of my dna, or if all that work my family did in their gardens and craft rooms was imprinted onto me.
Because, I am in love with the idea of freezing food for later, canning for gifts, sewing, glue gunning, and stretching myself creatively.

I created this blog for my future and because of my past.

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Tropical Storm Irene

I realize many people were displaced, some lost their lives, homes, and vacation time.  But, for me - in Maine, not too much happened.  I think a lot of the hype comes from past hurricane's where there was little warning and many government officials were in some hot water.  I can appreciate and respect flash flooding, and it can do some real serious damage.  Really serious.  But, we didn't experience any of that and I am so thankful.  What I did get to experience the ocean afterwards.  It was incredible.  After snoozing away the afternoon because we didn't have power, Tom and I drove over to Long Sand in York.  I walked down to the water and let Mother Nature push her air through my hair.  The waves were so big.  Bigger than I had seen in my whole life.  And I imagine they were small in comparison to what some people have seen.  The seagulls were navigating the gust with professionalism.  Soaring sideways, resting in the wind till they were softly delivered to the next clam shell for snack.  My pants were glued to my legs while the ocean foam was pushed across the tops of the waves to the next one.  It was awesome.  I of course forgot my camera, because we really left the house for coffee.
I did capture an image of the only sunflower I got to save before the winds came through and trashed my garden.


That's my awesome terrarium next to it.  All in all, the storm was uneventful.  We did loose power for twenty three hours.  We didn't loose any food or trees.  I had time to think about my wedding.  I had time to snooze.  And realize how I take electricity for granted!                                                                       








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